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Take Me

New compositions of rock and roll, blues and mainline pop; "American Rock&Soul"; expertly played and spectacularly recorded using unconventional recording and performance techniques on a great-sounding sound stage (see Album Notes) .

ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Album Notes

This album was recorded very differently from most: The basic music track was recorded all at once on a live music sound state using a pair of wide-set microphones at the front sides of the stage area. Instruments and part of the drum kit were amplified using Bose L1 Model 1's. This recorded to a single stereo track. Background vocals and instruments overdubs were recorded over the same setup, to stereo. Lead vocals were recorded using a good condenser microphone to a mono track. Mixing therefore involved mixing one stereo audio track, one stereo ensemble vocal track, one stereo solo instrument track and a mono lead vocal track. It was all mixed using Sonar6 Producer. Because we didn't start recording until we got a simply stunning live-stage and recorded sound, inspiration was gigantic for a best performance. If it sounded fabulous to us as artists, we knew it was the same for the recording. The downside of this was there would be no mixing of instruments. Stereo mix was how we played it and heard it. Simply stated, we had to be a good musical team, all playing together. No "monitor bubble" and no ego. We played for the song. We soon warmed to the fact that the recorded sound was very close to what we heard onstage. It was really fun and really exciting. The net result is a mix that has a natural ambience for all tracks. We used only two mics and so we had that sonic advantage of simplicity. They fit together naturally, so mixing was very simple and very pleasant, almost just a balancing of levels. There's a much more detailed description of this on the www.cliffhenricksen.com website.

About the songs themselves (Cliff speaking here):

Take Me - This is about getting on stage and being (hoping to be) accepted by an audience. So what...

Awful Johnny - A “Johnny” is that (awful, dreadful) cotton thing, with some idiotic happy-bunny (or whatever) print one it, that they put on you in the hospital when you are admitted. It wraps around front and has a big open section in the back, where your butt sticks out and all. It’s probably the most unattractive piece of clothing you can wear. I wrote it after visiting my mother in the hospital, noting how bad it makes everyone look, to which she heartily agreed.

What Do You Want Me To Do? - This is a true story about musical colleague and long-time friend, drummer Peter Premo. We were in this band together. He called me one day to tell me he couldn’t make a rehearsal, because he had been held up at gunpoint at the “Store 24” (a local “7-11”-type convenience store) and was forced to drive to some house in Worcester where he was held prisoner in the basement. They had guns. They said “don’t try to escape or we’ll kill you”. But they all conspicuously (idiotically) left the building and Pete raced out, called the police from a neighbor's phone and eventually recovered everything they tried to fence, including his drum kit. I think the little weasels got arrested too.

Wonderful - Ah, the power of Love. Think others write about this particular subject? Aside from this, this is one of my faves on the album. Tom Yates' solo (on a Taylor acoustic) is also wonderful.

River of Darkness - This is about the non-stop stream of negativity flowing so strongly in the world today; in thought, in the media, in personal and business relationships, and so on. This was originally a straigh-up 12/8 boogie and Tom Yates turned it into this really cool Jamaican vibe.

Changed Your Mind - This is a sort-of spoof on vacuous love-songs; a tragic comedy. Like, this big deal: I love you but, then again, no I really don’t; I changed my mind. It’s actually a bit of a joke, but nevertheless a very gospel-like musical piece, nice juicy chord structure and very dynamic, going from full-band and all voices to a very quiet, tinkly piano and voice section (this occurs in the church, at the wedding ceremony, in the classic “is there anyone here that doesn’t think this couple should be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace…” scene. Tom Beier put this one over the fence with his drumming.

When I Come Home at Night - There was a time in my life when I was traveling a lot for business, in particular to Europe (Albertville Winter Games actually), and it really bothered me to be away from home so much. This song is about a sort-of nightmare I had, coming home to unfamiliar surroundings, a wife who forgot who I was and a dark locked home. I love how Gary plays on this and the growl of that Ned Steinberger-designed bass is unmistakeable.

Just A Heartbeat Away - Another road-inspire thought. I love the harmonies, Tom Beier singing the high parts.

Harder Rain - We once lived in Seattle and this is simply a song about the rain there and thoughts about going somewhere else, where the sun might be shining.

See me now, walking the razor-line, threading the needle’s-eyeThis inspiration, straight from the waters, not going to tell a lieI’ve been working on a tender touch, watch it fly tonightI saved the best, shined up the rest, made it right

Take Me, standing here up on my ownTake Me, I do the best I canTake Me, all I ever want is you toTake Me now, take me as I am

Help me now, I need a little hand, I need some understandingJust a little, love and affection, nothing too demandingI’ve been reaching ever deeper now, down into the heartlineSee me now, hear me now, I think it’s time

Take Me, doing all I want to doTake Me, doing the best I canTake Me, all I ever want is you toTake Me now, take me as I am

Now here comes JohnnyCover you like a really really bad suitBetter put on the good-foot honey ‘cause you Look about as pretty as a combat-bootJohnny gonna uglify your dignity babyEverybody’s gonna look at youAwful Johnny, it ain’t funny what you do

Now we know JohnnyCome around like a bad misfortuneLike the last piece of hand-me-down that youSell at the backyard auctionJohnny gonna woop you with a ugly-stick babyThen he put you in a ugly-stewAwful Johnny

Now Awful JohnnySticking you out the back like a butt-showSticking you out the side like a side-showShowing you everywhere you don’t want to showPeople rubbernecking at your situationLike a monkey in the Franklin ZooAwful Johnny, it ain’t funny what you do

There was heaven in your smile when you said those tender words of loveSo convincing, for a while, now I don’t know what you're thinking ofDisillusioned, can't believe, I could be so blind

(Chorus)You said you love me but you changed your mindIt's so confusing and it's so unkindI'm blindsided by that same old lineYou said you love me but you changed your mind

I bought you diamonds, and a condo too, stretched my credit like a rubber duckAnd a jet vacation, in a Honoloo, how could I predict a change of luck?When you called me from Paree, I should have read the sign

You said you love me but you changed your mindIt's so confusing and it's so unkindI'm blindsided by that same old lineYou said you love me but you changed your mind

You said you always want to be my squeezeHook, line and sinker, I was on my kneesI never doubted such a love so fineYou said you love me, said you love meSaid you love me, but you changed your mind

I could hear those, wedding bells and I heard that preacher ask me if I doHe turned to ask you much the same and you said "Honey, who are you talking to?I ain't marching down the aisle, I ain't the marrying kind!"

(Chorus)You said you love me but you changed your mindIt's so confusing and it's so unkindI'm blindsided by that same old lineYou said you love me but you changed your mind

Wonderful (C) 1996 Clifford A, Henricksen

I've seen it in my own life, oh it's like a miracleSee it all around you, it's not complicatedHeal any misery, make a baby wonderHit you like a lightning and thunder

(chorus)It's love, make you feel wonderfulLove, makes you feel so fineEven in the darkest night, the darkest nightIt’s love, gonna make it shine

If you stop and think about it, it's so simpleYou don't have to read about it, it just comes to you(Like a sweet breeze)Keeps the big wheel turning, keeps the home fires burningSoothe any lover's yearning

(chorus)

Just let it roll on, it's so easyAnd let it find a way to set you free

Down in the city, out in the countrysideNowhere to run to, nowhere to hideDon’t get me started ‘bout itI get upset about itWhen I just think about itDo you? Do you?

Oh, I (been to the mountains), Oh, I (been to the sea)And I (can tell you something that is bothering me)Look all around you, I know you’ll findthat the (river of darkness’) just a sign of the times (Yeah, yeah)

Lying and treason, out in the street, they got the…Hell on the airwaves, you feeling the heat?Sing, baby, sing about it Talk baby talk about itThink baby think about itDo you? Do you?

Oh, I (been to the mountains), and I (been to the sea)O, I (can tell you something that’s been bothering me)Look all around you, I know you’ll findthat the (river of darkness’) just a sign of the times

(Sign of the times), oh I know it’s true(River of darkness) making a (fool of you)(Ocean of sorrow, mountain of pain)Winds of distruction calling your name(Yeah, yeah)

Oh why, oh why…

What Do You Want Me To Do? (C) 1993 Clifford A, Henricksen

Well, you told me, just drive me out of townAnd you told me, this ain't no mess aroundMy piece is built for painIt shoots a ball and chainTombstone bullets rain, it's so hard hard hard

(chorus)What do you want me to do? What do you want me to do? I'm doing the best I can doI'm doing what you told me

Oh, you told me, you're just a prisonerAnd you told me, dont try to run from hereYou disappeared it seemsExcept inside my dreamsNIghtmares and crazy scenes, it's so hard hard hard

(chorus)

The River of Life (C) 1991 Clifford A, Henricksen

River of love, river of dreamsWe drink your sweet water, cool in your streamsCleanse all our sorrow, fill up our soulWe rock on the waters and rollOn the river of life

You heard about the old man, the Hudson and the Rio GrandeThe mighty Mississippi, that slow TalahasseeI'll tell you about a river, so big and so wideYou never touch the bottom, never see the riversideI'm talking about the river, the river of life

Don't need a life preserver, 'cause everybody knows the swimEverybody's floating fine, the water's perfect, why don't you come on in?You're rocking and you're rolling and you think you're going downBut don't you worry cause that river never lets you drownSailing on the river, on the river of life

River of love, river of dreamsWe drink your sweet water, cool in your streamsCleanse all our sorrow, fill up our soulWe rock on the waters and rollOn the river of life

They sing about the Sewanee, they sing about the folks back homeThey sing about the lazy lazy, they sing about the lucky old sunThey sing about the love and then they sing about the painThey sing about the wind and then they sing about the rainThey're just singing about the river, about the river of life